New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-11-02
MAYOR HEWITT on LOCiL ISSUES.

our worthy Mayor seems 10 DC saul! i"h'"
| by the dcmoralizcd condition Of his party III
Ncw-York and by the prospect of its defeat
next week His disturbance and alarm over
| The outlook have caused him to write "a letter
showing a bitterness of partisanship that was
not expected, and which will excite regret In the
minds of his closest friends. Mr. Hewitt was
elected Mayor by the action of many Repub-
| licans who thought it advisable to vote for him
in order to defeat Henry George and his party
| Having secured the Office by this support, 1T
is unfortunate that he insists on taking SO
narrow and limited view of the local contest
as to attack with such wrath and violence the
motives and course Of those who do not agree
with him rs to the issues Of the local campaign.
| The Mayor appears to be strangely mlSln-
! formed about the true state of things In his
own party. He is probably the only Democrat
in Ncw-Yorl who does not know perfectly well
that Maurice J. Power has succeeded to the
position which Hubert O. thompson held in
the County Democracy, and that this faction
now exists simply to register the wishes and
the will Of this leader. He gives an account
of the origin and progress Of the NicoIl move
mcnt which is curiously at variance with the
facts He asserts that Mr.. NicOl finally sue
cumbcd TO the gross adulatOn with which his
advocacy was accompanied, and adds This
linjudiciouS course made his candidacy unaCccpt-
able to Scf-rcSpccting men, This is strange
remark to come from a citizcn Of Mayor llcw-
tits prominence. Does he mean to assert that
the body Of substantial ana honored citizens
who give direction to the sentiment Of the Re
publican party in Ncw-lOIk. and Fridays
gathering Of Independent New lorkcrs, many
Of whom are leaders in the great business
undertakings of this mctropcis-docs he mean
to assert that these influential and esteemed
citizens are not sclf-rcSpcctng' men?
Mayor Hewitt asserts that MIR. Nicoll would
have been the regular Democratic candidate at
this time if he had not said to him in Scptcm-
Der that he did not care for the nomination for
District Attorney. He also says that Colonel
Fellows had announced his intention Of rctlr-
ing from his position at the close Of this year
and remarks that in this stat" Of affairs the
next assistant. Mr. Fitzgerald, was the natural
nominee and all the leaders Of the organization
to which he belonged seemed TO concur in the
propricy Of his nomination. To those who
know that Fitzgerald nomination was decided
upon by Maurice J. Power long before Scptcm-
Der, that Mr.. NcOll was then told that he was
to be set aside in favor Of .'lr. Fitzgerald, and
that Mr. Power proved finally unable to carry
ont his plan simply because 1ammany abso-
lutcly refused to accept Mr.. Fitzgerald as
candidate this narration Of the causes which
brought about the nomination Of Colonel TcI-
lows by the Democratic party here is rs amazing
as it is incredible.
Mr.. Hewitt uses the strongest language at his
command when he declares that the NIcoH
movement is disgraccfu siIatagcm Of the
Republican managers to dcmOraizc the Demo
cratic party" Oh, no. Mr. Hewitt! The dis
grace lies in the nomination Of such a man rs
Colonel Follows by the Democrats, and the
rejection Of so fearless, honest and public
spirited u prosecutor as Mr.. NcOll The Re
pubicans have been guilty OF nothing but an
earnest effort 10 promote the public interest
by the nomination Of the man best qualified
for the position Of District Attorney. Mr..
llcwitts concluding sentence III which he says
=" As now constituted there is no room in the
Democratic party for corruption and frand,"
will simply cause laughter among all people who
know any thing about the present composition
Of that party and the influences which guide
and compel its nominations.
Mr. Hewitt has long enjoyed the respect and
esteem Of his fellow citizens. II is lamcntablc
from every point of view that at this important
crisis in municipal affairs he should show him
self unable to rise above the appeals
and the arguments Of narrow prejudice and
bitter partiSanship.